This invention relates to tracheal tubes.
Cuffed tracheal tubes, in particular, tracheostomy tubes, can present a problem in that secretions produced in the trachea may collect outside the tube above the cuff, providing a site for the accumulation of bacteria and infection.
Various proposals have been made previously for removing such secretions by suctioning from above the cuff. U.S. Pat. No. 4,607,635 describes a tracheal tube having a channel open at various locations along its length and through which a suction catheter can be inserted to remove secretions at any desired location above the cuff. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,305,392 there is described a tracheal tube with a bulbous chamber above the cuff in which secretions are collected for removal through a suction lumen extending through the wall of the tube. U.S. Pat. No. 4,840,173 describes a catheter having a suction tube projecting over the proximal collar of the cuff to increase the amount of secretions that can be collected. GB 2250440 describes a tube where the upper end of the cuff is everted within the cuff so that it does not provide any obstruction to locating a suction opening as close as possible to the cuff.
One difficulty with previous tubes is in ensuring that the maximum amount of secretions are removed. A further problem with some previous tubes is that when suction is applied, this can suck adjacent tissue onto the suction opening, thereby closing it or valving off the suction path.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an alternative tracheal tube.
According to the present invention there is provided a tracheal tube having a sealing cuff towards one end and a suction lumen extending longitudinally along a part of the length of the tube and having an opening just above the upper end of the cuff on the outside of the tube, the opening of the suction lumen opening into a recess on the outside of the tube, and the recess extending laterally away from the opening such that secretions collecting at a location laterally displaced from the opening can be removed via the recess and the suction lumen.
The tracheal tube is preferably curved along a part at least of its length, the suction lumen extending along one side of the tube and the recess extending from the opening to a location closer to the outside curve of the tube. The recess preferably extends through substantially 90xc2x0 around the circumference of the tracheal tube. The suction tube may be provided by a separate tube attached to the outside of the tracheal tube, preferably the suction tube extends along a channel formed in the outside of the tracheal tube. The suction tube may open into the recess through a side opening in the suction tube and preferably the side opening is oriented at substantially right angles to the radius of the tracheal tube. The tracheal tube preferably includes an inflation lumen opening into the cuff and the inflation lumen may extend along the tracheal tube diametrically opposite the suction lumen.
A tracheostomy tube according to the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.